Grit, humor, grief and gloom mix as Ukrainians face a dangerous new phase in the war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Paintbrush in hand, Anastasiya Sereda is working on a painting of a chubby-faced panda in the uniform of a Ukrainian soldier.

Propped on her easel is the reason why – a photo of her boyfriend Bohdan, a burly serviceman with a gentle smile.

“He looks like a panda,” Sereda said in explanation, alternately laughing and choking with tears as she talked about her partner, who was killed almost a year ago on the front line in eastern Ukraine. Taking part in an art class for women bereaved by war, she’s trying to capture her boyfriend’s humor and heroism, and channel her roiling emotions onto canvas.

Many other Ukrainians also are wrestling with a potent mix of emotions – including grief, anger, humor, defiance and fear – as they face a new phase in the war with growing concern about international support for their cause.

Most remain firm in their resolve to drive out the Russian invaders and decide their country’s future course. Many also worry that international attention is distracted by the Israel-Hamas war and other concerns, and that allies aren’t delivering much-needed weapons and ammunition. Foreign visitors are often told to go home with a message: Send air defenses, especially U.S.-made Patriot missiles, to close Ukraine’s skies to the enemy.

There are many grounds for worry. Russia has thrown waves of soldiers and deadly glide bombs at Ukrainian lines, forcing Kyiv’s troops to retreat from several villages along the 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) frontline in the country’s east and south. Military analysts say Russia is pushing to take as much territory as it ca n before fresh supplies of arms reach Ukraine from a $61 billion U.S. aid package approved in April.

Away from the front, air-raid sirens are a routine occurrence in much of the country as Russia attacks with missiles, rockets and drones. Sometimes the attacks hit energy plants, railways or other infrastructure. Often the targets feel indiscriminate: apartment buildings, hospitals, playgrounds. All mean more lives ripped apart.

“We really want the world to remember that people are dying right now,” said Valentyna, who works at a power station that has been repeatedly hit by Russian missiles. When air alerts send her to the plant’s basement shelter, she helps make camouflage netting to send to the troops, threading strips of green and gray cloth on a string frame.

“When there’s a siren you feel better if you’re doing something,” Valentyna said. The Associated Press agreed not to publish her full name because she works for critical national infrastructure.

Kyiv, Ukraine’s beautiful capital, is once again a bustling European city with modern conveniences from craft beer bars and hip coffee shops to ride-hailing apps and McDonald’s. Residents have adapted to war, and nowadays, few head for the shelter of the subway when air alarms sound.

But reminders of the dead are all around: in the sea of yellow and blue flags in Independence Square, and the memorial wall outside St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, where people leave flowers in front of photos of fallen troops.

As some Kyivites brunched on patios one spring Sunday, hundreds of others took to the streets for a demonstration to demand the release of Azov Brigade troops who were taken captive by Russia after defending the southern city of Mariupol two years ago. The weekly protests aim to ensure the POWs are not forgotten, and draw supportive honks from passing cars.

There’s a growing gap between those who serve and those who don’t, highlighted by a recent government decision to suspend passport renewal services for conscription-age men outside the country. Though human rights groups have criticized the move, many Ukrainians agree with the government that the move is a question of fairness.

And war also has brought solidarity, throwing together people from all walks of life and turning academics, scientists, writers and many others into soldiers.

Scores of people gathered in Kyiv’s central Independence Square on a rainy recent afternoon to say goodbye to Nazarii Lavrovskyi, a medical researcher turned army paramedic who was killed in April while helping to evacuate wounded troops.

University friends, fellow scientists from his lab researching antimicrobial drugs and battle-hardened soldiers all fell to one knee on the wet pavement as his coffin was carried from a hearse to the sound of military trumpet and drum.

“He joined us, and it was strange to see such people ending up in the war,” said Oleksii Palii, a veteran of Lavrovskyi’s unit, the 112th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. “At first, he couldn’t cope at all, but later he became a combat medic. He earned tremendous respect from all the soldiers.

“Rest in peace, that’s how it turned out.”

With so much to worry about, many Ukrainians have put fears for the future on the back burner, said Anton Grushetskyi, executive director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. There is concern about what a victory for Donald Trump in November’s U.S. presidential election could mean, given the Republican contender’s past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But it’s not at the forefront of most people’s minds.

“People cannot (predict) their lives in a couple of months, even, because the situation is changing rapidly,” Grushetskyi said.

That sentiment was echoed by Olena Herhel, another member of the “Alive, true love stories” art project, where war widows find support and an outlet for their feelings. She joined the painting group after her husband was killed in the fighting almost two years ago.

“There is no point in making plans, because no one can say what will happen tomorrow,” she said. “My family just tries to get on with the tasks that we have for today.”

Associated Press journalists Illia Novikov and Volodymyr Yurchuk contributed to this story.

A painting by Ukrainian Anastasiya Sereda rests next to a photograph of Sereda's boyfriend Bohdan, in an art class for women bereaved by war, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Women wearing traditional Ukrainian costumes greet and dance with others in a market in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Family, friends and army comrades gather to mourn Ukrainian army paramedic Nazarii Lavrovskyi, 31, killed in the war, during his funeral ceremony at Lisove cemetery in Kyiv, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People look at boards displaying photographs of Ukrainian soldiers who have suffered amputations and severe injures during the war, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A street artist performs in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A clothes seller waits for customers in a market in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Ukrainians, a few of them displaced from Mariupol during the war, train at rowing on the Dnipro river as the sun sets, in Dnipro, Ukraine, Thursday, May 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Women paint canvas during an art class for women bereaved by war, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman wearing a traditional Ukrainian costume dances with others at a market in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

People hold "Free Azov" signs during a rally aiming to raise awareness on the fate of Ukrainian prisoners of war, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Family, friends and army comrades gather to pay respect to Ukrainian army paramedic Nazarii Lavrovskyi, 31, killed in the war, during his funeral ceremony at Independence square in Kyiv, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Orthodox Christian worshippers light candles during a ceremony at the Church of the Intercession in Lypivka, near Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Family, friends and army comrades gather to mourn Ukrainian army paramedic Nazarii Lavrovskyi, 31, killed in the war, during his funeral ceremony at Independence square in Kyiv, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Ukrainian Anastasiya Sereda paints a canvas in an art class for women bereaved by war, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

John Krasinski’s imaginary friends movie “IF” claimed the top spot at the box office this weekend according to studio estimates Sunday. Its $35 million North American debut was also a bit lower than some projections.

Is that a disappointment? An ominous sign of the box office times? Or is the final story on “ IF " yet to be written? It's not just your imagination: In these bumpy early weeks of the 2024 summer box office season, in which nothing has been a runaway hit and every new movie has more and more pressure to succeed, “IF” hit a nerve.

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming, and an army of A-list voices including Steve Carell, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Louis Gossett Jr., Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Maya Rudolph, “IF” was an original idea from Krasinski, who wrote, directed and co-stars.

Paramount debuted the film, which cost a reported $110 million to produce, in 4,041 locations in North America. Internationally, it earned an estimated $20 million from 56 markets, adding up to a $55 million global debut.

“Families came out in force and they loved the film,” said Chris Aronson, who heads Paramount’s domestic distribution.

There are several somewhat contradictory narratives swirling around its performance as well. With its PG-rating, “IF” was the first major family friendly film to open in theaters in weeks. And unlike a front-loaded superhero or horror movie, family pics are often running a marathon not a sprint. Last June, Pixar’s “Elemental” was assumed to be dead on arrival when it opened with $29.5 million domestically. But it continued earning throughout the summer and ultimately made nearly $500 million globally.

“IF” got middling reviews from critics (it's currently sitting at a “rotten” 49% on Rotten Tomatoes), but, as with “Elemental,” audiences gave it a solid A CinemaScore this weekend. The studio considers it a successful debut and is optimistic about its longevity as summer actually begins for school age children.

“I think it bodes well for moviegoing in general as we move into the summer movie season," Aronson said. "Kids are out of school starting this coming week and I couldn’t think of a better film to be in the marketplace than this one: It’s new, it’s fresh, its original, and it’s such a heartwarming film.”

“ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes ” continues to be a bright spot. In just 10 days, it surpassed $100 million domestically and $237 million globally. It came in second place in its second weekend with $26 million (down 55%).

But there also hasn’t been a major movie moment akin to last year’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer” in quite some time. Last year on this weekend “Fast X” opened to over $60 million.

“This is a very unusual summer. It got off to an unusual start without a Marvel movie," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “The box office has been in a holding pattern 20% down from last year.”

“IF” wasn’t the only new film to open this weekend either. Lionsgate’s horror “The Strangers—Chapter 1” overperformed with a $12 million debut from 2,856 locations. The innovative marketing campaign staged some viral moments by bringing the “strangers” to major events, from the Trump trial to Coachella.

The Amy Winehouse biopic “ Back to Black " opened in North America to an estimated $2.9 million from 2,010 screens.

The filmed-for-IMAX documentary “ The Blue Angels ” also made $1.3 million this weekend from 227 screens. It’s playing on the premium large format screens through May 22 before flying to Prime Video on May 23.

The summer, which for Hollywood begins the first weekend in May, is still getting started and could rev up next weekend with the infusion of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie."

Dergarabedian noted that Memorial Day weekend is a time when moviegoers play can play catch up with films they've missed and heard about. For a film like “IF," which picked up over the weekend with word of mouth buzz, that could bode well. Still, there is no sugar-coating the reality that the 2024 box office is not going to build on 2023.

"On almost every level this is a non-traditional summer in the lineup of films and the trajectory of the box office," Dergarbedian said. “But collectively these films should have a solid Memorial weekend.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “IF,” $35 million.

2. “Kingdom of hte Planet of the Apes,” $26 million.

3. “The Strangers—Chapter 1,” $12 million.

4. “The Fall Guy,” $8.5 million.

5. “Challengers,” $2.9 million.

6. “Back to Black,” $2.9 million.

7. “Tarot,” 2 million.

8. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” $1.7 million.

9. “The Blue Angels,” $1.3 million.

10. “Unsung Hero,” $1.1 million.

This image released by Amazon Prime shows a scene from the documentary "The Blue Angels." (Amazon Prime via AP)

Actor Marisa Abela attends the premiere of Focus Features' "Back to Black" at AMC Lincoln Square on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in a scene from "Back to Black." (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Focus Features shows Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in a scene from "Back to Black." (Focus Features via AP)

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Cailey Fleming, left, and Ryan Reynolds in a scene from "IF." (Jonny Cournoyer/Paramount Pictures via AP)

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Ryan Reynolds, from left, Cailey Fleming, the character Blue, voiced by Steve Carell, and the Blossom, voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, in a scene from "IF." (Paramount Pictures via AP)

Emily Blunt, left, and John Krasinski pose with the character "Blue" at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "IF" at the SVA Theatre on Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

John Krasinski, left, and Ryan Reynolds attend the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "IF" at the SVA Theatre on Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Ryan Reynolds poses with the character "Blue" at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "IF" at the SVA Theatre on Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Cailey Fleming, left, and John Krasinski pose with the character "Blue" at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "IF" at the SVA Theatre on Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)